prayers, praise, and peace: So maybe this is what family really is...

A few weeks ago I was eating dinner at a friend's house who over the past 1 1/2 years has found herself raising her two nieces and nephew. After dinner the kids ran off to work on homework and play outside. Amanda and I plopped down on the couch in the living room to chat and watch The Voice. During our conversation we somehow got on the subject of family, and she made a comment that has resonated with me since that night. She said, "Sometimes God comes in and totally redefines your idea of what family looks like."

I'm pretty sure my eyes started to tear up as I started to think about that. I was born into an incredible family with awesome parents, a great big brother, and a best friend for a little sister. I have been blessed in so many incredible ways through my parents and my siblings, but recently God has been showing me that His idea of family is so much larger than that.

Growing up most little girls want to get married and have a house full of kids that they can call their family. For a long time I thought that was family and that that was exactly what I wanted, but recently God has been showing me that family can look completely different than that!

Family can look like 5 girls piled onto a small couch laughing until our sides hurt.

Family can look like sharing birthday dinner with one of the sweetest 11 year old boys I know.

Family can look like the amazing staff that I get to work with on a weekly basis!

God is continually transforming my definition of family! There are countless more examples of the family that He has blessed me with here in Little Rock. He has blessed me with next door neighbors from PV who let me come crash at their place to watch Big Bang Theory almost every week. He has blessed me with the Leveretts who put up with Boomer and me crashing for dinner at least twice a week. He has blessed me with our Thursday night family dinner crew who feels like little brothers and sisters to me. He has blessed me with 60 little sisters that I would do absolutely anything for. He has blessed me with 60 little brothers who constantly keep me laughing and keep my life entertaining. He has blessed me with incredible older sisters who surround me with prayer and pour so much of God's love into my life. He has expanded my view of what family truly is. What a blessing that when we are a part of the Church God is constantly extending our view of what family truly is!